more from Hilary Putnam

Single Idea 4716

[catalogued under 3. Truth / C. Correspondence Truth / 3. Correspondence Truth critique]

Full Idea

Putnam argues that theory does not correspond to reality, because there are myriad correspondences possible, and we cannot single out "the" relation of correspondence.

Gist of Idea

The correspondence theory is wrong, because there is no one correspondence between reality and fact

Source

report of Hilary Putnam (Reason, Truth and History [1981]) by Paul O'Grady - Relativism Ch.3

Book Reference

O'Grady,Paul: 'Relativism' [Acumen 2002], p.75


A Reaction

This obviously depends on views about reference and meaning. I don't see the problem in simple cases, which is all the correspondence theory needs. Complex cases, like chemistry, may well have ambiguities, but so what?